EVERY SAINT HAS A PAST
To the unsuspecting eye Dee Stephens has a perfect life as the vicar’s wife: a devoted marriage to her charismatic husband Reverend Vincent, an adoring congregation and a beautiful daughter.
EVERY SINNER HAS A FUTURE
But beneath the surface, Dee is suffocating. Vincent is in control, and he knows her every sin. Desperate, Dee escapes into a heady affair with Cal, an old schoolmate.
EVERY CONFESSION HAS A PRICE
But is Cal the saviour she thinks he is? What dark secrets does he harbour? And to what lengths will Vincent go to when he uncovers the truth?
I'm delighted to be hosting the blog tour for The Sinner today. Many thanks to Caroline England for inviting me and to Piatkus (Little, Brown Book Group) for my advance copy of the novel, received through Netgalley.
Caroline England really is the queen of twisty domestic noir and opens The Sinner with a deliciously dark prologue that gives nothing away but craftily hints at what lies ahead. This might be a slow burning novel but that doesn't make it any less addictive; I picked it up intending to just read a few chapters but ended up reading almost the whole book in a single sitting.
The story is told from the perspective of three characters; Cordelia (Dee) and Mariana (Mari), who are sisters, and Cal who appears in Dee's life in a moment of need. Dee is the likeable main protagonist and despite the choices she makes, is easy to empathise with. However, she is a rather frustrating, passive figure at first and obviously controlled by her unctuous husband, Vincent and scornful mother-in-law, Harriet, as well as by the intrusive demands that come from being the wife of a vicar. Her transformation over the course of the book was undoubtedly one of the highlights for me. Vincent is a fascinating character – Caroline England cleverly introduces so many little question marks about him without revealing whether we are right to be suspicious or have been wrong-footed until near the very end of the novel.
Meanwhile, Mari initially appears to be the more settled sister; she is a psychotherapist and in an apparently stable relationship but huge changes lie ahead which result in a different side to her coming to the fore. The supportive relationship between the sisters is touching and authentic, and I enjoyed the subtle similarities that emerge between them. They both acknowledge how much they have changed since they were children and as the storyline progresses, it becomes evident how the actions of their parents continues to have an impact on their lives. The exploration of parent-child relationships is an intriguing topic throughout but perhaps the most striking themes are chronic grief and insidious manipulation. Cal is arguably the most puzzling character; he's a far more sympathetic figure than Vincent and yet it's clear almost from the start that he isn't being honest with Dee. I was never quite sure whether he could be trusted – some of his secrets might be excusable omissions but others are much darker...
This is a classic tale of lives that seem near-perfect from the outside actually hiding dark secrets and Caroline England deftly drip-feeds various revelations throughout the book, some of which I managed to guess thanks to the clues scattered like bread crumbs to follow, and others that shocked me, yet made perfect sense. With its perceptive characterisation and compulsive, intelligent plot, The Sinner is domestic noir of the highest calibre. Highly recommended.
The Sinner is published by Piatkus, purchasing links can be found here, please support independent bookshops whenever possible.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
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